echo results

[NLGA]

sorry had a few issues adding this to my post

I just received my echo results and would be interested in views

[Dkhanka]

you need to ask / investigate left & right atrium being dilated ?

[Murderfan58]

Could you ask your GP or cardiologist to explain what it means ? My cardiologist just told in face to face the results of my echo and bubble echo. Was easy to understand then.

When I was referred to AF clinic the nurses who ran it where very easy to talk to and explained things to me in plain English.

When I had my MRI my cardiologist explained exactly what would happen and when he sent me the results it was in plain English not like your results. Turns out the hole in my heart is a flap that should have closed before birth between my lungs and heart. Apparently we have flaps round our heart which close before birth. At least the connections between the chambers of my heart are intact and have strong heart function. As long as I don't get chest pain under the care of my GP. Getting breathless at times is nothing to worry about. I miss heart beats. Get heart flutters and palpitations but they don't last long . So I don't worry about them. On Flecainide and Apixaban.

Found out about the hole in 2020 had to laugh had 2 minor ops and 3 major ones all with a dicky heart. 2021 found out where the hole is . Because it's small and no chest pain safer to leave it. I will be 66 next month.

Only found out in 2022 what my neurological condition was and only because my new neurologist had my whole genome genetically tested and it's rare . I was born disabled in 1958 . But I look at it this way better late than never to find out what has been wrong with me my whole life. Thanks to finding others with it I am no longer alone or weird. My whole life now makes sense.

Hope someone can explain the results for you and what it means for your future .

[NLGA in reply to Murderfan58]

Good points

But this test was done in December I have been issued with no appointment since ( I was told to expect a letter ) I had to go to the medical records with the help of PALS to even get a result

The cardiologist secretary/ department do not even return calls and I have made countless ones

[Murderfan58]

Sorry about the way you are being treated. I live in north west England. The Healthcare here is brilliant unlike the healthcare I got where I used to live. I moved here 4.5 years ago. My old neurologist could have had the same test done and put me on Clonazepam to stop my limb jerks which I had from 1988 when I was 29. Being in them changed my life no limb jerks or seizures since March 2020 as my new neurologist started me in them before sending my blood to be tested.

My old GP did an in house ECG and diagnosed LVH and never sent me to see a cardiologist.

My new GP did hence me finding out about my heart and I have PAF .

It really is a postcode lottery where you live.

[NLGA in reply to Murderfan58]

Yes it’s frustrating

I had a monitor in November echo December and didn’t get either results to I went to PALS they were getting nowhere and pointed me in my rights to see my medical records

The annoying thing was in August I asked the cardiologist at my appoint when will I see him again he said December after the test results are back and it got to February without a word

Then last week I saw another chap with 2 days notice of the appointment he never had my results but said I was still having AF episodes from the monitor report and would need a Ablation but had no report of my echo infront of him

[Deejay62]

Everything is normal or good. Aortic dimensions are within range. The normal ranges are in brackets. Your EF55% is normal. Speak to your doctor or whoever asked for tests about your dilated atriums or contact BHF nurses. They might be able to help.

At least you don’t have heart failure.

[NLGA in reply to Deejay62]

Thank you so much

[NLGA in reply to Deejay62]

could I ask you mention no heart failure but is mildly dilated not a form of heart failure , sorry to ask I just find things confusing

[Deejay62 in reply to NLGA]

Usually people who have heart failure has EF 50% or under. Was your EF lower than that at some stage, or were you told you have heart failure even if your EF is 55%. They discovered I had heart failure at the age of around 42/3 and my EF was 43%. I was just put on blood pressure tablets to keep it low. My EF is 23% as of last year January. 6 yrs ago mine went to 10% and I began heart failure medication along with a new pacemaker with a defibrillator added to it. I probably won’t find out if that’s changed until next year after I have an ablation. My problem is electrical/arrhythmias. I suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy.

You need to get your cardiologist to interpret it properly for you and take notes. It’s also saying estimated. I had an angiogram done originally to get my diagnosis. Since then I’ve had echos.

[NLGA in reply to Deejay62]

the EF was 50 when I was in hospital for the week but up to 55 about 6 months after .

I have had 2 echo I mri , but no they have said it isn’t heart failure but I can’t understand why I need 15mg Bisoprolol to go about my daily activity without breathing issues

I am also on flecainde

Could I ask what’s the difference between dilated cardiomyopathy and a dilated atrium

[Deejay62 in reply to NLGA]

I don’t know what dilated atrium is. Your cardiologist will tell you what it means for you.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle. The heart chambers become enlarged and heart muscle becomes thinner and weaker. It is genetic for me as some of my family died from it and some have it now.

You can always go on the BHF website and get the number for the nurses who you can phone and ask if you have questions about dilated atrium.

All the best

[NLGA in reply to Deejay62]

Thank you

I was thinking atrium and chamber are they same

Very kind of you to assist me

[Deejay62 in reply to NLGA]

I find it hard remembering the chambers of the heart but I saw in my HF booklet the upper chamber is the Atria and the 2 chambers in that upper chamber are called the Atrium, and the 2 lower the ventricles. But the nurse would explain it better than me. I’m not a medic.

I have problems with the two lower chambers ventricles

I have pulmonary hypertension, which is an extension of DCM along with heart failure. But that can cause my heart to fail completely because it runs from my lungs to my Atria. I sent off for the pulmonary hypertension booklet. So if the two upper and the 2 lower begin to fail completely that will be it for me.

[PadThaiNoodles in reply to NLGA]

While dilated cardiomyopathy can refer to any of the 4 chambers (2 atria and 2 ventricles), it usually starts with the left ventricle before spreading to the right and then the atria. That would be the classic heart failure with reduced EF.

The dilation of my atria was caused by leaky valves, but your valves are fine. Your dilated atria could be caused by your AF, or it could be the other way around, or it could just be an incidental finding.

EF is just the fraction of the blood your left ventricle sucked in that got pumped back out. When you're in AF it could either go down (you were probably in sinus rhythm when the echo was done), or the amount sucked in might be too low so that even with a preserved EF you're still not getting enough oxygenated blood (so you get breathless).

Your two medications are normal treatment for AF.

[NLGA in reply to PadThaiNoodles]

What great information amd advice

Thank you so much for taking the time to assist me with my concerns